Ammocharis longifolia (Malgas lily)

[= Cybistetes longifolia, Ammocharis herrei]

Malgaslelie [Afrikaans]

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Asparagales > Family: Amaryllidaceae > Genus: Ammocharis

Ammocharis longifolia, flowering after autumn rain in the Richtersveld, Namaqualand, Northern Cape, South Africa. [photo Colin Paterson-Jones ©]
Ammocharis longifolia flowering in summer near Somerset West, Western Cape, South Africa. [photo Colin Paterson-Jones ©]
Ammocharis longifolia, flowering in autumn on the Knersvlakte, Western Cape, South Africa. [photo Colin Paterson-Jones ©]	Ammocharis longifolia, flowering in summer above the Cape Peninsula Atlantic coast, South Africa. [photo Colin Paterson-Jones ©]

Distribution and habitat

Occurs in southern Namibia, lower Gariep Valley, western Namaqualand through to Cape Peninsula and from there through to Bonnievale. Found in flat areas and on slopes in sand soils or stony alluvial soils (Snijman et al. 2008).

Life cycle

• Flowers from December to April. Leaves can be present or absent at flowering time.
• The flowers are strongly and sweetly scented and are probably pollinated by moths (Manning et al. 2002).
• Seeds are dispersed by the dry fruiting head tumbling along the ground and breaking open the seeds in the indehiscent capsules (Manning et al. 2002).

Publications

• Campbell WE, Dlova MC, Makhesha PA, Paterson FW. 1992. Alkaloids from Cybistetes longifolia. Planta Med. 58(3): 299.
• Duncan G. 1977. The Malgas lily. Veld & Flora 63(1): 17.
• Manning, J. & Goldblatt, P. 1996. West Coast. South African Wild Flower Guide 7. Botanical Society of Southern Africa, Kirstenbosch. p. 44.
• Manning, J. Goldblatt, P. and Snijman, D. 2002. The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs. Timber Press, Portland.
• Olivier W. 1979. Cybistetes longifolia - re-visited. Veld & Flora (Kirstenbosch) 65(4): 119 - 120.
• Snijman, D. & Williamson, G. 1994. A taxonomic reassessment of Ammocharis herrei and Cybistetes longifolia (Amaryllidaceae). Bothalia 24: 127–132.
• Snijman, D.A., Manning, J.C., Goldblatt, P., Fish, L., Duncan, G.D., Archer, C., Roux, J.P., Kurzwel, H., Linder, H.P., Verboom, A.V., Klopper, R.R. and Smith, G.F. 2008. Monocotyledons, ferns and quillworts of the Namaqualand-Namib Succulent Karoo, Tanqua-southern Great Karoo and Western Mountain Karoo, southern Africa.